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FAO / WOMAN SCIENTIST FACES RISKS TO SUPPORT UKRAINE’S AGRICULTURAL RECOVERY

Collecting soil samples in Ukrainian agricultural lands impacted by remnants of war and exploded ordnances is a central part of the high-risk job of Tiphaine Lucas, programme coordinator for the Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Ukraine. The risks are heightened by the fact that some areas are located as close as 20 kilometres from the current frontline.

Language English

Country Ukraine

Duration 2m16s

Edit Version International

Video Type Video News Release (VNR)

Date 02/10/2025

File size 299.19 MB

Unique ID UF19CHL

Production details and shotlist

UNFAO Source FAO Video

Shotlist STORY: FAO / WOMAN SCIENTIST FACES RISKS TO SUPPORT UKRAINE’S AGRICULTURAL RECOVERY
TRT: 2:16
SOURCE: FAO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT FAO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 5 FEBRUARY 2025, KYIV, UKRAINE / RECENT

SHOTLIST:

30-31 OCTOBER 2024, MYKOLAIVSKA OBLAST, UKRAINE

1. Wide shot, destroyed house
2. Wide shot, war remnants
3. Pan right, FAO officer by a crater caused by artillery

27 MARCH 2024, MYKOLAIVSKA OBLAST, UKRAINE

4. Wide shot, Tiphaine Lucas, programme coordinator for the Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Ukraine, adjusting the protective gear before soil sampling.
5. Various shots, FAO officer Tiphaine Lucas collecting soil samples in agricultural lands affected by the war.

5 FEBRUARY 2025, KYIV, UKRAINE

6. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Tiphaine Lucas, FAO Programme Coordinator on Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation Initiative in Ukraine:
“The [Ukrainian] government is currently facing numerous challenges. They are in a state of war, so they need this technical assistance. And I truly believe that we [FAO] can provide this technical assistance in the best possible way. And that's why we are accepting the risk. Because we know that's our role, and that is the way that people [farmers] can also protect their own livelihood.”

27 MARCH 2024, MYKOLAIVSKA OBLAST, UKRAINE

7. Wide shot, Tiphaine Lucas walking on a sampled land

30-31 OCTOBER 2024, MYKOLAIVSKA OBLAST, UKRAINE

8. Wide shot, tractor operating in land

03 OCTOBER 2024, KHARKHIV OBLAST, UKRAINE

9. Wide shot, Tiphaine Lucas talking with farmers and UN officers

5 FEBRUARY 2025, KYIV, UKRAINE
10. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Tiphaine Lucas, FAO Programme Coordinator on Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation Initiative in Ukraine:
“Triticum durum is the wheat that is grown for pasta. This type of wheat might not be suitable for a field that is contaminated with cadmium [a toxic heavy metal], because it has this capacity to accumulate cadmium, but another type of wheat, wheat that is grown for bread, for instance, has less capacity to accumulate cadmium, and in this case scenario, you might recommend the farmer to grow this type of wheat, instead of another wheat that he might have been cultivating before, or that he had planned to cultivate.”

11. Various shots, Tiphaine Lucas working at FAO office in Kyiv
12. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Tiphaine Lucas, FAO Programme Coordinator on Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation Initiative in Ukraine:
“The knowledge and science are really key, because what matters is what you bring to the table, so if you are able to bring knowledge, if you're able to transform this knowledge into a solution, then, you are listened. And that's really where you will make your mark. And it doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman.”

03 OCTOBER 2024, KHARKHIV OBLAST, UKRAINE

13. Wide shot, man with dog in agricultural land.

27 MARCH 2024, MYKOLAIVSKA OBLAST, UKRAINE

14. Tiphaine Lucas collecting soil samples in agricultural lands affected by the war.

Script Collecting soil samples in Ukrainian agricultural lands impacted by remnants of war and exploded ordnances is a central part of the high-risk job of Tiphaine Lucas, programme coordinator for the Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Ukraine. The risks are heightened by the fact that some areas are located as close as 20 kilometres from the current frontline.

“You can hear the detonations, the explosions,” while you’re working, described Lucas, a field agronomist. Her work sits at the intersection of agriculture and mine action, ensuring that contaminated farmland can be safely restored for cultivation. She explained that mine action is a sector of humanitarian assistance where gender imbalances remain, as it is “male-dominated.”

Arrived in Ukraine in mid-2023 as FAO officer, Lucas said she is driven by her aspiration to contribute to the recovery of Ukraine as an agricultural powerhouse.

Assessing the potential contamination of heavily bombarded agricultural lands in Ukraine is central to helping farmers resume production and restore rural livelihoods. She explained FAO plays a central role in supporting farmers due to its unique technical know-how in agriculture.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Tiphaine Lucas, FAO Programme Coordinator on Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation in Ukraine:
“The [Ukrainian] government is currently facing numerous challenges. They are in a state of war, so they need this technical assistance. And I truly believe that we [FAO] can provide this technical assistance in the best possible way. And that's why we are accepting the risk. Because we know that's our role, and that is the way that people [farmers] can also protect their own livelihood.”

Despite the challenges of the ongoing war, Ukraine has harvested 72.9 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds and exported 17.5 million tonnes of cereals, legumes, and flour in the current marketing year (2023-2024), surpassing last year's figures but not yet reaching pre-war levels.

Following the escalation of the war in 2022, FAO mounted a comprehensive response to support Ukraine’s agriculture and food production, providing technical assistance to help farmers and producers in one of the world’s top exporters of staple grains to secure harvests, maintain healthy livestock, and strengthen supply chains. Since then, some 250,000 rural families and 15 000 farmers have received support from FAO.

The Organization also plays a central role in ensuring food safety by conducting a soil health assessment on lands potentially contaminated. This process is a crucial step in determining the potential chemical damage to the land and how this pollution can affect some crops, explained Lucas.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Tiphaine Lucas, FAO Programme Coordinator on Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation in Ukraine:
“Triticum durum is the wheat that is grown for pasta. This type of wheat might not be suitable for a field that is contaminated with cadmium [a toxic heavy metal] , because it has this capacity to accumulate cadmium, but another type of wheat, wheat that is grown for bread, for instance, has less capacity to accumulate cadmium, and in this case scenario, you might recommend the farmer to grow this type of wheat, instead of another wheat that he might have been cultivating before, or that he had planned to cultivate.”

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, thus 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of this UN international day.

Reflecting on the role of female scientists in Ukraine’s agricultural reconstruction, Lucas said that, in areas where gender imbalances persist, women should use their “knowledge” to leave their “mark.”

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Tiphaine Lucas, FAO Programme Coordinator on Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation in Ukraine:
“The knowledge and science are really key, because what matters is what you bring to the table, so if you are able to bring knowledge, if you're able to transform this knowledge into a solution, then, you are listened. And that's really where you will make your mark. And it doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman.”

Lucas also recommended young female scientists to “learn along the way and from everyone, because this will make you richer inside and have a better capacity to adapt your knowledge to the world.”

The war in Ukraine has damaged the country’s agriculture and food production. Prior to the war, Ukraine exported 6 million tonnes of grains per month. The country’s agricultural sector produced sufficient grain and other food products to feed 400 million people globally.

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FAO / WOMAN SCIENTIST FACES RISKS TO SUPPORT UKRAINE’S AGRICULTURAL RECOVERY

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